Physics made Fun

I, Science 8 June 2006
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David Brill learns science with Superman.

"I don't need to know about no bleeping balls thrown off no bleeping cliffs." Thus spoke an anonymous physics student at the University of Minnesota, unwittingly providing the inspiration for James Kakalios, his professor, to write a book.

The Physics of Superheroes is the result. It represents a commendable attempt to make physics more interesting – a task that would surely see the Man of Steel himself quaking in his little red pants.

"One trick I've hit upon in teaching physics involves using examples culled from superhero comic books that correctly illustrate various applications of physical principles," explains Kakalios, frustrated with the "overly stylised" and "artificial" situations traditionally used by teachers.

The book follows a sensible, easy-to-navigate formula. Take a key principle of physics, then use a superhero to explain it. No balls, no cliffs. All the old school classics are represented: forces and motion, Newton's law of gravity, electromagnetism and thermodynamics. The book is intended to reach undergraduate physics level, and more daunting topics like quantum mechanics are also bravely tackled – in this case with the help of The Flash.

"What initial velocity would Superman need, lifting off the sidewalk, so that he would vertically rise 660 feet? Is Spider-Man's webbing strong enough to support his own weight as he swings in his parabolic trajectory?" You get the idea.

Hardened comic book fans may of course crave tenuous explanations for the wondrous feats they have read so much about. Helpfully, there is a brief history of the genre in the introduction for those of us who spent their childhoods outside. Yet suspension of reality is surely the very point of reading a comic book, and some enthusiasts may not appreciate attempts to justify the laws of the superhero world using those of our own.

The Physics of Superheroes is primarily a book for physics students, and as such it is thoroughly enjoyable. Those long nights poring over a GCSE revision guide would have been infinitely more entertaining had we learnt why Magneto becomes Electro when he runs. Imagine being stuck on a tricky exam question. Why recite your notes over and over in your head when you could just visualise a comic strip to jog your memory?

Teachers and lecturers would also do well to purchase this book. Science is perceived by many students as dull, lifeless and alienating, and is often dropped at the first possible opportunity. Physics particularly suffers from the 'boring' tag, and Kakalios should be roundly applauded for his imaginative attempt to liven it up. There is of course the potential for such ideas to be overly gimmicky, but the book does an excellent job of keeping the science intact. Traditional physics teachers will most likely scoff, but declining university applications and the closure of departments tell us that the pure sciences are in desperate need of fresh teaching approaches.

The aesthetics also make for an easy read. Plenty of examples are illustrated with relevant clippings from the comic strip in question, providing some light relief when the formulae are mounting up. The title fonts are also taken straight from comics and help to soften the educational blow.

Kakalios attempts to assert his coolness in the opening line of the book: "I was a comic book fan as a kid, but I abandoned the hobby in high school upon discovering girls." Yet some cringe-worthy moments are inevitable – he is, after all, a comic book loving physicist. Chapter titles such as "Not a dream! Not a hoax! Not an imaginary tale! Quantum mechanics" suggest that his voyage of female discovery may have been short-lived. The closing line: "Face front, true believer!" entirely counteracts the opening one, while the titling of the section "Ask Dr. K!" also made me squirm somewhat. Prospective authors take note: if you're going to write a book entitled The Physics of Superheroes, do not attempt to salvage any 'street cred'. Spell your surname in full, drop the exclamation marks and be proud of the geek within.

If you were wondering, to jump 660 feet, Superman would need to leave the ground with a velocity of 140 miles per hour. And yes, it is "entirely plausible" that Spider-Man can swing from building to building, stop a runaway train or weave a bullet-proof shield using his webs. Kaliakos has convinced me at least, that physics can actually be pretty cool.